Despite objections from newspaper publishers, a House
committee endorsed two bills Thursday that would allow local governments
to publish public notices online rather than in newspapers.

Rep. David W. Stevens, R-Sierra Vista, chairman of the House
Technology and Infrastructure Committee and author of one of the bills,
said communities shouldn’t have to pay newspapers to publish notices
when they can be posted on their websites or in other public forums.

“The more we can do from our homes is a better service for the citizens of the state,” Stevens said.

Public notices call attention to meetings, budgets, public improvements and many other government matters.

Arizona law requires that such notices be published in an
English-language newspaper of general circulation. If a newspaper is
printed daily, a notice must run four consecutive days. In a weekly
newspaper, a notice must run for two consecutive weeks.

Stevens said that some cities already post notices online but still have to pay to publish them in newspapers.

He authored HB 2483, which would allow cities, towns and counties to
publish public notices in public forums other than newspapers.

HB 2533, authored by Rep. Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert, would give
local governments the option of posting notices online or having another
organization do so instead of publishing them in a newspaper.

Otondo said newspapers are important in her rural district, where
many older residents “don’t even know how to turn on a computer.”

A 2000 report by the National Newspaper Association found that
between 5 and 10 percent of revenue at community newspapers came from
public notices.

Tom Arviso, publisher and CEO of Navajo Times Publishing Co., told
the committee that many people who live on reservations get their news
and public notices from newspapers because many lack computers and
access to the Internet.

“Not everyone has electricity, let alone running water,” Arviso said.
“With the newspaper, they get the news in their own language. The
public notice section is important.”

Jonathan Paton, a former Republican state senator representing Wick
Communications Co., a Sierra Vista-based newspaper group that publishes the SV Herald, Daily Territorial and the Tucson Weekly, among others, said
newspapers serve as a “third party watchdog” to make sure public notices
run properly.

“Do you trust the government to disclose what happened at a committee meeting?” he said.

Dale Wiebusch, representing the Arizona League of Cities and Towns,
registered his organization’s support for Stevens’ bill and said the
change would save local governments money.

2 comments on this story

While I love the Sentinel, I also like getting the Sunday paper and reading the public notices in one place. Why couldn’t they compromise and at least use online papers and pay a little bit for the privilege?

Yes!

I want to help TucsonSentinel.com offer a real news alternative!

We're committed to making quality news accessible; we'll never set up a paywall or charge for our site. But we rely on your support to bring you independent news without the spin. Use our convenient PayPal/credit card donation form below or contact us at donate@tucsonsentinel.com today.